Envelope



April 20, 1943- H. M. WHITMAN 2,317,335

' ENVELOPE Filed Aug. 9, 1959 INVENTOR ATTOI QNEY Patented Apr. 20, 1943ENVELOPE Harlan Whitman, West Hartford, Conn., as-

signor to Curtis 1000 Incorporated, Hartford, Conn., a corporation ofMinnesota Application August 9, 1939, SerialNo. 289,106

1 Claim.

This invention relates to envelopes and particularly to a mailingenvelope having two gummed flaps to permit two successive mailings.

An object of the present invention is to provide a mailing envelopeusable first as third class mail and second as first class mail.

A feature of importance of the invention is that when the envelope isfirst mailed a flap having a small gummed spot may be used to seal theenvelope but when the envelope is remailed after tearing oil a panel andthe used flap, a flap on the opposite side of the envelope which isgummed along its full length is used to seal the envelope for firstclass mailing.

Another feature of importance is that the first used flap having thespot only of gum and its panel may be severed along a line ofperforations on the front panel of the envelope adjacent its foldingline so that the opposite gummed flap may be readily folded over thisedge of the front panel and the envelope completely sealed.

And finally it is an object of the invention to form the longitudinaledges of the blank from which the envelope is made with the oppositeends of the panels on either side of the central panel carrying thegummed end flaps indented so that the envelope may more easily passthrough the folding machine while in process of formation.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention may consist inthe features of construction and operation set forth in the followingspecification and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In the accompanying drawing annexed hereto and forming a part of thisspecification, I have shown the invention embodied in a mailing envelopeof conventional size and shape but it will be understood that theinvention can be otherwise embodied and that the drawing is not to beconstrued as defining or limiting the scope of the invention, the claimappended to this specification being relied upon for that purpose.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the form of blank from which the presentenvelope is made;

Fig. 2 is a view of the blank after the gummed sides have been foldedinward;

Fig. 3 is a front view of a completed envelope ready for sealing for itsfirst mailing, and

Fig. 4 is a view of the envelope as it is first mailed after sealing.

In the above mentioned drawing there has been shown but one embodimentof the invention which is now deemed preferable, but it is to beunderstood that changes and modifications may be made within the scopeof the appended claim without departing from the spirit of theinvention,

Referring more in detail to the figures of the drawing the envelope isshown as being made from a single sheet or blank of paper or otherflexible material as indicated in Fig. 1. This sheet has a central orfront panel l0 having short gummed flaps II at its opposite ends andpanelsl2 and I3 extending from its upper and lower edges. Each of thepanels I2 and I3 has short fiaps I4 and I5 respectively upon their edgesremote from the central panel In. The flap IS on the panel l3 has asmall spot of gum l6 enabling this flap to be attached to the frontpanel when the envelope is first sealed as will be more fully describedpresently. The flap M has its entire free edge provided with gum asshown at 20 to effect a complete'sealing of the envelope when this flapis employed in sealing the envelope for its second or return mailing.

When the envelope is made up ready to be mailed for the first time thepanel I2 is attached to the gummed flaps l I and the panel It may beprinted with any form of notice or other information. The panel I3 isfolded over panel [2 and the gum spot l6 attached by sealing to thecentral panel l0. This sealing of the envelope by means of the gum spotencloses the gummed flap l4 within the envelope bent back upon the panel10 without being sealed. The envelope so made, folded and sealed bymoistening the gum spot l6 may be mailed as third class matter, postalinspection being possible by opening the fiap at the gum spot l6. Toopen the envelope it is only necessary for the first addressee to breakthe seal at IE or to slit the envelope at the fold line between thepanel l3 and flap- 35.

The panel l3 containing the printed matter or blank form to be filledout by the first addressee may be detached at the line of perforations11. The detached panel l3 may then be folded and inserted within thepermanent part of the envelope, that is, between the central panel l0and panel l2. The flap [4 may then be sealed over onto the front panel-Ill. The panel I2 on its outer surface may be printed with the returnaddress l8 for the reason that this surface is concealed by the panel l3during the first mailing of the envelope. Also, when the panel I3 isremoved at the perforated line [1 the first addressee's address will beon the side opposite that of the notice or printed matter of this panel.

The lateral edges 19 of the panel [3 are disposed as shown in Fig. 1somewhat indented within the limits of the ends of the central panelIll. The panel l3 when separated from the panel I 0 along the line I 1after being suitably filled out by the first addressee will fit, afterbeing folded, within the envelope for its return mailing. The perforatedline IT for detaching the panel l3 enables the flap M to be convenientlysealed ready for remailing the envelope for the reason that the panel I2 is slightly wider than the panel In after removal of the panel l3 andthe flap I4 folds easily over the edge left by this perforated line, theindented edges l9 of the panels I 2 and I3 also facilitate passage ofthe sheet through the envelope machine when the sheet is being gummedand folded. Preferably and as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the flaps H extendalong the end fold lines of the central panel in from one of thelongitudinal fold lines of the central panel to the line of perforationsI! to facilitate tearing off the panel I3.

I claim as my invention:

A return mailing envelope formed from a single elongated blank,comprising a central panel, panels extending from the oppositelongitudinal edges of said central panel, fold lines at the longitudinalmargins of said panels, a line of perforations on said central paneladjacent one of the longitudinal edges thereof, and gummed flapsextending from the end edges of said central panel and disposed entirelybetween one of the longitudinal fold lines and said line ofperforations, whereby the panel adjacent said line of perforations maybe torn from said central panel along said line and with the portion ofthe central panel between said line of perforations and the adjacentfold line,

HARLAN M. WHITMAN.

